Amanda Seyfried Being Pursued for ‘Les Miserables’; Taylor Swift Close to Nabbing Role

Update: Deadline reports that Amanda Seyfried is locked in for the role of Cosette. Your move, Swift.

This is the kind of casting that I’d expect to happen just a bit earlier, but, alas. Twitch reports that Amanda Seyfried has been offered a role in Les Miserable, the Tom Hooper-directed version of the stage musical, which already has Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Sacha Baron Cohen signed to star. If she were to join, Seyfried would be playing Cosette, the daughter of Hathaway‘s Fantine; some would see it as a funny choice, since there’s more than a decade’s difference between the characters and only a three-year gap among the two actresses. The plot doesn’t make this a problem, however. (It might be a spoiler to discuss the specifics of the story mechanics, though you can always find out for yourself.)

The only major film on the actress’ schedule is Lovelace, an in-production biopic that could potentially conflict with Les Miserables, which is set to begin filming in the next couple of months. I must admit to not knowing the full scope of the character’s involvement in the story, but the producers must be willing to work around her free time for the part. And I hope they do; Seyfried‘s not only far more talented than the glut of her generation, but also has that crucial movie star appeal on top of all that. (She can sing opera, too.) My only concern — which, admittedly, isn’t even a real one — is how she’d work alongside the main cast, yet the strong work done in this department alleviates anything legitimate. Let’s hope she goes for it.

Twitch has also learned that Taylor Swift is Hooper‘s choice for Eponine, a part that was vied for byScarlett Johannson, Evan Rachel Wood, and Lea Michele. Much like Seyfried, she’s also been offered a part by the studio; it’s only more likely that Swift will star because she actually auditioned. Maybe it’s a bit of a step down when the rest of the cast is looked at, but, again, I’ll put some faith in what they’re doing here — and she can sing. That’s something to rely on, too.